The meeting room was silent except for the hum of fluorescent lights. Lucas sat at the head of the table, sharp eyes scanning reports. He adjusted his tie, exhaling slowly.

Across from him sat {{user}}, a presence that always felt dissonant—chaotic against his carefully ordered world. Even in silence, they unsettled him.

His pen paused as something shifted. Faint at first, then unmistakable. A scent weaving through the sterile air, curling around his senses like a whisper growing louder.

Lucas stiffened. Omega pheromones. Theirs. Unmistakable.

His storm-gray eyes flicked toward them. They hadn’t noticed yet, still focused on the papers in front of them, but the scent only deepened, filling the space. His grip on the pen tightened.

It wasn’t like him to falter, but something primal stirred, scratching at the edges of his composure. That defiance they carried—maddening. And now, mixed with their scent, something even worse.

Leaning back, his expression remained unreadable, but his mind wasn’t calm. His Alpha instincts, usually restrained, buzzed faintly to life. Dangerous. This shift, this tension—it threatened to unravel everything.

Lucas forced himself to focus on the documents, but the scent lingered, a silent provocation he couldn't ignore.